"It will take time but I will work my way out of this" - Demoralised Jack Draper looking to get back on track after suffering another injury setback

Jack Draper has not been able to catch a break in recent times. His latest setback at the Barcelona Open is just the most recent injury concern he has had to endure after a period stuck on the sidelines in 2025.

Desperate for match fitness and sharpness, this is the worst-case scenario for the British number two. It all began last year after Draper felt some pain in his arm. He would continue playing, skipping the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open in the hope of defending the points won at the US Open in 2024.

However, after his first round win, the pain became too unbearable and he withdrew from the event, forfeiting the points from the semi-final the prior year and eventually deciding to take the rest of 2025 off.

A bruised humerus was the issue, marred by a false report about the seriousness of the injury. Draper was on a roll at this time, having come off the back of winning the Indian Wells title, along with reaching the Madrid Open final. He climbed to a high of world number four and was touted by many to be the man to challenge the top two, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

His physical problems have laid waste to that idea for the time being. He was supposed to make a comeback for the Australian swing, debuting alongside Emma Raducanu at the United Cup. This would not be the case. The 23-year-old stepped back onto the court for Great Britain's Davis Cup qualifier against Norway before returning to the ATP at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

It was limited preparation for the Sunshine swing, but he still showed his class at Indian Wells with a win over 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. He would lose in the last-eight to Daniil Medvedev while tumbling down the order thanks to a seismic amount of points coming off. His venture at the Miami Open lasted for just one match with a second-round defeat before deciding to skip the Monte-Carlo Masters, delaying the start to his clay swing for the Barcelona Open.

Draper was optimistic heading to Catalonia, but it would end in huge disappointment against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. After winning the first set 6-3, the Brit's form fell off a cliff. Physical troubles among numerous unforced errors allowed Etcheverry a clear pathway back into the match. After going through a double breakdown in the third set, Draper called it a day.

He had some tape wrapped around his right knee at the start of the third set, seemingly having another injury problem he now has to deal with as he tries to get back to full fitness.

He set out a message on his Instagram in the wake of the news. "Sad to retire in Barcelona. I’ve tried hard these last months to stay positive and give my all. It will take time, but I will work my way out of this. Thank you for all the support throughout this process."

Now down to 27th in the world, Draper could be in danger of another steep decline. His points from the Madrid Open will soon be up for grabs. With the way he is playing, there will be doubts whether he will be able to challenge for the title, let alone if he will be able to compete. A quarterfinal run at the Rome Open will be the next quest on his list.

Draper has openly stated his intention to complete a full clay swing. He has shown his skill on the surface from last year and will not want to let up on an opportunity to gain some more points.